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Spirit Airlines: Workin with the commies
Remember that trade embargo that the US has against all of Cuba? The one that forces you to drive to Tijuana to pick up Cuban cigars and the one that prevents you and your family from stopping in Havana on your annual cruise? Yep, that embargo.We as Americans have been forbidden from trading with the Socialist nation for over forty years now, as our good buddy Fidel Castro kept the country under lockdown and its population in poverty. Our "sanctions," which have recently come under increased scrutiny, are meant to punish the totalitarian government and encourage democracy in the island nation. How well that's working is another debate.
But our trade embargo sure isn't stopping Spirit Airlines from doing business with the Cubans. They've been paying the government regularly to use Cuban airspace on their flights over the Carribbean -- something that spokeswoman Misty Pinson claims was not premeditated, saying: ``Spirit Airlines never had the intention of violating any requirements or laws to carry out its international operations.''
How does your morality buzzer NOT go off when you're writing checks to Cuba? Aren't all business transactions with the communist state illegal?
Needless to say, the embattled airline is now coughing up 100G's in fines for illegal payments to the Cubans. Better to fly around next time.
Filed under: Activism, Business, Cuba, Airlines, Transportation, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
james Jun 30th 2008 9:48PM
This is really funny. By the way, Castro had help keeping people hungry by the US embargo and sanctions. Batista, whom he ran off, did a pretty good job himself, with the help of the mafia, and no US emargo or sanctions.
Castro needs to build a nuclear bomb like North Korea, then maybe the US would soften up like they are doing for them. I guess...Viet Nam and China didn't exactly play that game. Then again, they didn't have a fascists lobby like Little Havana. Those people were the ones displaced by Castro...the ones in bed with the mafia and Batista.
Oh well. The rest of the world can visit Cuba, but not "free" America, or heaven forbid, Spirit Airlines just wanting to save fuel. Sorry for my cynicism, but, these are just facts.
Eugene Aug 14th 2008 1:03PM
So true, so true. Furthermore, can you imagine how the Cuban athletes must fell competing in China. The USA blockades their country for being Communist etc, while they (USA) have their head stuck up the Chinese ASS.
The USA is not going to question the China link to Darfur, Not going to question China in Tibet, not going to question China's human rights record, or exploitation of disident Chinese, and list goes on.
The USA treatment of Cuba is Shameless!!!!!!!!!!!
Tin Jul 1st 2008 5:04AM
What james said. US embargo is keeping people hungry, just like US foreign policy is made to bully nations all over the world into submission to its imperialist agenda. How does your morality buzzer not go off when you buy oil from Saudi Arabia?
Eugene Aug 14th 2008 1:13PM
Here here!!!!!!!!!!! The USA has lost the moral high ground, and that influence erodes more each day. Stretched thin policing the world, how does the USA response to new provocations by Russia, China's global imperial designs, India and Brasil demand for inclusion as players on the world economic stage?
There's more than one bully in the playground now.
Bob Jul 1st 2008 5:36PM
Airlines are allowed to fly over Cuba if they pay for it (like Spirit was), but they need to register with the US to do it. Spirit Airlines just forgot unintentionally it seems.